Today I had the rare opportunity to watch TV in the morning. I was unpacking boxes in my new classroom for next year. In the middle of the mess, I watched the Today Show, which I haven't done since last summer. I am usually on my way to work when it begins.
There were lots of children's books in the news today:
1) The Nancy Drew movie is in theaters everywhere today.
2) Al Roker met with his book club to talk to them about Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. You can read a transcript of the questions the book club members asked Riordan in this interview here. You can view the video of the book club segment here.
3) Al Roker released his third choice for the book club. It's Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan, teen author.
Wow! I never thought just having the Today show on as "background noise" would prove to be a fruitful education.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Friday, June 15, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Bridge to Terabithia
I FINALLY got to go see Bridge to Terabithia this weekend. I cringed everytime I saw the trailers to this movie because they focused so much on the fantasy part of Terabithia. I had read in a Katherine Paterson interview that the trailers were deceiving. The movie was very true to the book.
The fantasy parts of the movie (that you see in the trailer) are the film version of the imagination. Most of us who read the books as kids saw the imaginary Terabithians in our minds. We had our own idea what Terabithia looked like. Since film can't show what might be in our imaginations, it had to spell it out for us. And I understand since it's a visual medium, that it was necessary to show the Terabithians, etc. Of course it was different than in my imagination, but there's never been a film based on a book that has ever matched my imagination exactly.
The number one thing people have said to me about the movie is: "It's so sad!" They are shocked and astonished that a child would die in a kids' movie. Most people that are shocked are people who have never read the book. The people who have read the book would be mad if the changed the ending in the movie.
The great thing about the book being made into a movie is that you find out about this classic book all over again. I loved this book as a kid, so it's been wonderful for me to relive my memories of it.
Check out these great links:
Katherine Paterson's Newbery speech
Article in School Library Journal
Washington Post Article
The fantasy parts of the movie (that you see in the trailer) are the film version of the imagination. Most of us who read the books as kids saw the imaginary Terabithians in our minds. We had our own idea what Terabithia looked like. Since film can't show what might be in our imaginations, it had to spell it out for us. And I understand since it's a visual medium, that it was necessary to show the Terabithians, etc. Of course it was different than in my imagination, but there's never been a film based on a book that has ever matched my imagination exactly.
The number one thing people have said to me about the movie is: "It's so sad!" They are shocked and astonished that a child would die in a kids' movie. Most people that are shocked are people who have never read the book. The people who have read the book would be mad if the changed the ending in the movie.
The great thing about the book being made into a movie is that you find out about this classic book all over again. I loved this book as a kid, so it's been wonderful for me to relive my memories of it.
Check out these great links:
Katherine Paterson's Newbery speech
Article in School Library Journal
Washington Post Article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)